The Bertelsmann Foundation joined forces with its media partner, the Financial Times, to host “The First 100 Days. Opportunities in Crisis: Empowering society in a time of economic turmoil” on April 23 at Washington, DC’s Newseum. The conference, timed to coincide with US President Barack Obama’s 100th day in office, brought together about 200 high-level representatives from the US and European political, corporate, media, academic and think-tank communities to discuss innovative, yet practical and realistic, solutions to the economic crisis.

Conference participants included EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyria, philanthropist George Soros and World Bank President Robert Zoellick. Messrs. Almunia, Soros and Zoellick comprised the keynote speakers. Minister Lagarde and Vice-Prime Minister Nemyria joined one of five panels that examined different aspects of the crisis.